Document n3pw367LMjnpoKDLx7mbyy52

household chemicals. Polypropylene demand jumped 13%, to 3.1 billion lbs. last year. Domestic consumption increased 11% to about 2.7 billion lbs. And a late-year rush in exports put that market segment about 29% ahead of 1977. Polypropylene's largest domestic outlet, injection-molding resins for auto parts, appliances, packaging and a variety of other items, moved up only about 7%, to 1.1 billion lbs. A sluggish auto-parts market, which increased only 5.5% was a major factor. PVC demand rose 11% to more than 5.8 billion lbs. in 1978, although export ship ments, a relatively small portion of the total, dropped slightly. Rigid pipe and tubing, which surged 15% to more than 2 billion lbs., was a big factor. Pipe fittings, phonograph records (CW, Dec. 20, 1978, p. SI), protective coatings and coated floor ing also gained sharply. Although exports increased nearly onethird for polystyrene and ABS last year, they were only about 4% of total polysty rene shipments of 3.9 billion lbs. and about 3% of the ABS total of 1.1 billion lbs. There were no standout markets in poly styrene. Most major outlets--appliances, furniture, toys, building construction and rigid packaging--posted modest gains. Total domestic demand rose about 8% to 3.7 billion lbs. ABS markets trailed those for polysty rene. Domestic demand increased about 5% to 1.08 billion lbs. The appliance market was strong, but that in autos regis tered only a small gain and pipe applica tions declined. Well Set: Volume gains for thermoset ting plastics actually outpaced those for thermoplastics last year. Total shipments rose 12%, to about 4.3 billion lbs., largely on the strength of the building market. Phenolic resin demand topped 1'.5 billion lbs., an increase of 10%. The bulk of the resin went into bonding and adhesive resins; plywood was the largest use, about 390 million lbs. Phenoiics for molding compounds dropped about 8%, to about 300 million lbs., reflecting strong competi tion from thermoplastic resins. Urea and melamine resins gained 15%, to about 925 million lbs., in bonding and adhesive applications. About 800 million lbs. of that went into particle board. Total consumption of the resins rose about 11% to 1.3 billion lbs. And about 1.2 billion lbs. of unsaturated polyester resins--the largest group of materials used in reinforced plastics-- were sold or consumed, up about 12% from 1977, John Rivoirf '{ Majorproducersof tfiftbig Monsanto j/; i Novamont j Polysar RexemS&Bs--' t ? Rico Chemical ^trei i'i Shintech i?. 1 Stauffer J /ennkd^l^H ' Union Carbide U.S.L Chemicals;^ ! USS Chemicals l Totals 1 Wilt Mil Plsquamin,,,L*. unit (170 million IOs./yrt to Goodrich. * Ultro-hijh molecular j weitjht.wOPE.Sourcov-Trado-ftaoorts.- t ---- -4 BOR 00040C February 28, 1979/Chemical Week 17 OSHA, NIOSH study brain-tumor deaths at Union Carbide facility Following the discovery that 10 em ployees at Union Carbide's Texas City, Tex. plant had died of brain tumors, the Occupational Safety and Health Adminis tration and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health are conducting an epidemiological study of 8,000-10,000 present and former workers at the plant. The investigation resulted from a worker's complaint last November, alleging an abnormal incidence of brain tumors among personnel in the company's chemical-shipping area. OSHA inspectors visited the plant on Dec. 13, 1978, and Jan. 8, 1979, and reported last week that examination of Carbide's medical records revealed 11 brain-tumor cases, including 10 deaths. Nine of the workers had died of a form of cancer called glioblastoma multiform; the living worker is believed to have glioblasto ma. The other employee died from meningio ma, another type of brain tumor. According to OSHA Administrator Eula Bingham, "The total number of brain tumors so far would appear to be higher than expected for a plant popula tion this size." At the start of the investi gation, which is expected to take about a year, vinyl chloride monomer is the lead ing suspect. While VCM is most common ly associated with angiosarcoma, a form of liver cancer, several studies have linked it to glioblastoma. Sanford Leffingwell, a NIOSH medical officer who is heading the epidemiological study, cites a 1976 study by Richard Waxweiler published by the New York Academy of Sciences, and a later study by Italian researcher Cesare Maltoni that showed an incidence of another type of brain tumor in rats exposed to VCM. A study supported by the MCA also recognized an incidence of glioblastoma among the workers exposed to VCM in its sample. Carbide says that the affected workers were exposed to VCM in 1950-1965, but evidence at this point is far from conclu sive. Leffingwell says that other chemicals in use at the plant, including ethylene oxide and acrylonitrile, are possible causes of brain tumors and will be examined. It is also possible, he points out, that the number of glioblastomas could turn out not to be excessive for a plant with approx imately 2,000 employees. In the period since 1941, there have been 455 known deaths of Carbide employees at Texas City, although all 10 in which brain tumors were listed as the cause occurred 22 Chemical Week/February 28. 1979 in the years between 1962 and 1978. Shock Waves: Even the tentative link to VCM has sent tremors through the vinyl industry. On February 13, Union Carbide plant manager Damon L. Engle sent a letter to employees at Texas City appris ing them of the brain-cancer cases. A similar letter was given to employees at Carbide's S. Charleston, W.Va., facility, and other VCM manufacturers were informed of the findings at Carbide. A Dow Chemical statement cautions against hasty correlation of the deaths with VCM. Dow says that mortality studies conducted recently at Freeport, Tex., and last year at its Plaquemine, La., VCM facilities failed "to show any indication of a similar situa tion. Both studies showed no deaths from brain tumors among VCM workers." The joint OSHA-NIOSH investigation team is gathering data. As a result of findings to date, OSHA is also investigat ing a "compliance complaint" at Monsan to's operations in Texas City and says that it is possible that other plants will also be checked, though none has been identified. Davis Layne, area director of OSHA's Houston office says "We are just begin ning to turn the leaves, and it all depends on what turns up." Stauffer's board OK's 2-for-1 stock split Stauffer Chemical's board last week approved a two-for-one stock-split propos al that they will present to shareholders on April 18 for final approval. The move is the latest in a string of stock-split propos als by such chemical companies as Du Pont, Mobil Corp., SmithKline, and Car lisle Corp., (OF, Feb. 14. p. 10). H, Barclay Morley, Stauffer's chair man, said the proposed split would help bring the stock price, which was around $40/share last week, down to a level that would be more attractive and affordable to investors. The proposal calls for boosting Stauf fer's authorization for shares to 70 million from the present 30 million. Right now there are about 21.9 million shares outstanding, and the largest shareholder among the board of directors, Christian de Dampierre, owns fewer than 2%. The board also said that, if the share holders approve the proposal, the board will consider -boosting the second-quarter dividend by 10%, to 27.5p/share after the split. The move would be in line with the company's policy of raising dividends to offset the effects of inflation. Stauffer has split its stock two for one twice in the past--in April 1957 and in May, 1976, Syntex nears napr xen lawsuit settlements Pharmaceutical producer Syntex Corp, agreed last week to settle out of court all pending lawsuits with Syntex shareholders and Industrial Bio-Test Laboratories (IBT) connected with IBT's alleged defi ciencies in testing Syntex's anti-arthritic drug, naproxen. The agreement requires the companies to set up a 52.75-million settlement fund, of which SL8 million would come from IBT, $575,000 from Syntex, and 5375,000 from Syntex's insurance company. In exchange, the lawsuits would be dropped. The arrangement is still subject to court approval. The settlement fund benefits classaction lawsuit plaintiffs, whose suits, filed in 1976 and later consolidated in federal court in New York, alleged that IBT was deficient in performing and reporting on a rat study of Syntex's Naprosyn naproxen. The suits also charged that Syntex knew or should have known about the alleged deficiencies, and that the prices of Syntex's securities were artificially in flated because of allegedly fraudulent representations and omissions stemming from the company's statements about naproxen. In addition, on Oct. 15, 1976, the Food and Drug Administration pro posed withdrawing its approval of naprox en's new drug application on the grounds of the alleged deficiencies in the rat study by IBT for Syntex. Syntex says it is agreeing on the settle ment to avoid the "expenses of a lengthy trial, which would require our scientists and executives to waste months in court rooms thousands of miles away." But the company admits no wrongdoing in the case, and, in earlier answers to the suits, denied all allegations of improper conduct. As of July 31, 1978, Syntex's worldwide sales of naproxen totaled $87 million for the fiscal year. The non-hormonal anti inflammatory drug, marketed in about 48 countries, is a major product in Syntex's human pharmaceuticals business. Nalco Chemical, IBT's parent compa ny, notes that, as part of the settlement, Syntex agreed to dismiss a suit the drugmaker filed against IBT in Chicago, once the settlement of the suits in New York is approved. And IBT's $ 1.8-mil lion pay ment under the settlement terms, Nalco says, will be charged against the reserve for discontinued operations set up by Nalco in 1978. Syntex, meanwhile, says it has repeated the study of naproxen in question, and submitted it to FDA in late 1978, but so far has had no response from FDA. BOR 000401